Say it ain't so

As Americans, we have a tendency to “romanticize” certain aspects of our daily lives. This includes, but is not limited to, sports.  The average American has at least some interaction with sport on a day to day basis and being seen as “athletic” is considered a compliment for most people.  Because of this, we Americans tend to place those with exceptional athletic skills on a pedestal.  As a result of this, and the constant media storm that surrounds them, the average person tends to regard elite athletes as being “superhuman,” whether it is on a conscious level or not.  So, why is it that when an athlete actually takes measures to physically become a “superhuman,” he or she is regarded as a fraud.  Oft repeated philosophy states that records are made to be broken and that boundaries are made to be crossed.  So why do we draw lines for sports?  And where exactly does this line fall?  As consumers of sport, we demand excellence. We demand dazzling displays of athletic talent on a consistent basis and athletes have responded to this demand.  Why then should we complain about their methods for meeting them?  Personally, I can’t really answer these questions.  I cannot honestly say that I view athletes who are on steroids as being on the same level as those who do not.  However, I can’t pinpoint exactly why.  After close examination of training practices over the years, steroids and other performance enhancing drugs just seem like a natural progression of training programs for athletes. Over time, improvements in equipment, medical care, uniforms, etc. have greatly increased the level of play.  It seems to me that enhancing bodily performance is not all that different.  So maybe I just learn to accept steroids as a part of sports.  We don’t have to like it, but maybe we’ll just have to deal with it.